Before you start

Written confirmation of what health cover your employer provides, if any
Residence permit for you and each dependant
A chosen hospital and a known route to it
Vaccination records for children entering school

Step-by-step

1
Establish whether you have cover at all, and what tier
Ask whether the employer provides health insurance, which insurer, what the annual limit is and which hospitals it admits you to. On internationally recruited contracts the cover is frequently a global policy administered abroad, which behaves very differently from a local one at a Jordanian hospital reception.
Via employerWho: You, pressing HRAt onboardingVaries enormously by employer
2
Understand the difference between direct billing and reimbursement
A local policy typically direct-bills the hospital; an international policy may require you to pay and claim. On a substantial hospital bill that is a large cash-flow difference. Find out which you have, and which Amman hospitals your insurer direct-bills, before you need one.
Via employerWho: YouAt onboardingFree to establish
3
Choose your hospital and drive the route
Jordan Hospital, Istishari, Abdali Hospital, Al Khalidi and the King Hussein Cancer Center are among the main private options, with Ministry hospitals and the Royal Medical Services on the public side. Amman's hills mean the fastest route is not the shortest — drive it once in daylight and save it.
Mobile appWho: YouFirst monthFree
4
Register with a local GP or clinic
Private clinic consultations in Amman are inexpensive relative to Europe or the Gulf, and walk-in access is straightforward. Establishing a relationship with a GP early is worth more than it sounds when you need a referral or a repeat prescription.
In personWho: YouFirst monthModest per consultation
5
Sort chronic medication and check what is available locally
Jordan has a substantial domestic pharmaceutical industry and most medications are available, often as local generics at low cost. Bring a doctor's letter with generic names and enough supply for the transition, then establish a local equivalent.
In personWho: YouFirst monthLow — Jordanian generics are inexpensive
6
Know the numbers and how to describe your location
911 is the unified emergency line; 193 for an ambulance and 199 for civil defence and fire are also published on the government portal. Give your nearest circle, your hill and a landmark rather than a street name — that is what dispatch and drivers actually work from in Amman.
In personWho: YouWeek oneFree

Documents you’ll need

Residence permit for you and each dependant
Insurance card or policy schedule with the annual limit and direct-billing arrangements
Vaccination records for school enrolment
Doctor's letter listing chronic medication by generic name

Things most newcomers don’t know

Health insurance is not automatically provided here, and that is the difference from the Gulf.

In the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain, an employer's duty to insure an expatriate worker is a legal condition of the residence permit — the cover exists whether you asked or not. Jordan does not work that way for private-sector expatriate employment in the same universal fashion, so whether you have cover, and how good it is, is a matter of what your employer chose to buy. Somebody transferring from a Gulf posting will assume it is handled. Ask explicitly, and get the policy schedule.

Source: Local employment practice; Ministry of Health

Amman is a place people fly to for treatment, which cuts both ways.

Jordan is an established regional medical-tourism destination and the King Hussein Cancer Center is a serious referral institution for the whole Arab world. The quality of private specialist care in Amman genuinely exceeds what its cost base would suggest, which is a real advantage of living here. The other side is that the best facilities are private and priced for an international clientele, so an uninsured serious episode is expensive by local income standards.

Source: Jordanian private healthcare sector; King Hussein Cancer Center

Water storage is a health question as well as a plumbing one.

Because piped supply arrives weekly and is stored in rooftop tanks, the cleanliness and condition of your tank matters. Tanks need periodic cleaning, uncovered or poorly maintained ones can be contaminated, and tanker water bought when the tank runs dry is of variable quality. Most residents drink filtered or bottled water rather than tap. Ask the landlord when the tank was last cleaned, and arrange it yourself if the answer is vague.

Source: Local practice; Ministry of Water and Irrigation

Winter respiratory problems in Amman are a heating problem.

Amman's winter is cold and wet, older stone buildings are poorly insulated, and heating is frequently by portable diesel or gas heaters rather than central systems. Unflued heaters in poorly ventilated rooms cause both respiratory irritation and, occasionally, carbon monoxide incidents, which recur in Jordanian winters. If your flat uses a portable heater, ventilate, fit a carbon monoxide alarm, and never run one in a sealed bedroom overnight.

Source: Local winter practice; Civil Defence public safety guidance

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming Gulf-style mandatory employer health insurance applies in Jordan.
Not knowing whether your policy direct-bills or requires you to pay and claim.
Never asking when the building's water tank was last cleaned.
Running an unflued portable heater in a sealed room over winter.
Giving a street name rather than a circle and landmark when calling for an ambulance.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.